Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Polishing expander ball?

You guys are killing me, I'm to old to learn all this and the moose I shoot won't appreciate it. I will get knowed up on the Lee Collet dies and don't plan on measuring case neck variations.

Long ago when I loaded .300 Savage, 30-06 and .264 Win. Mag ammo with my Dad he had some old Lyman dies for each caliber and the little yellow cups with a mark on them. He scooped the powder out, which was surplus H4831 for the ought six and .264 and went hunting.

This reloading good straight consistent ammo is time consuming!

I think what JB is saying, the Lee Collet set up sorta makes case neck thickness less critical, as it compensates somewhat.

Of course, great brass is always a good thing regardless of die system used.

DF

I'm with you DF, I thought that's what he was getting at too.

We need a sticky with your Lee Collet Die instructions.

I refer to it occasionally. Where can that be easily found? For future reference...

DF

I have to search for it too.

I found one under post #10863004

Am I in the minority using the Lee instructions? Not saying they are better than mathman's. It just works. With my old rock chucker, I screw in the die till it contacts the shell holder and go 2 more full turns. I can feel the collect work with pressure on the handle with no cam over. Done.

If it works consistently for you then you're golden.

I'm having trouble turning a post number into a link...

DF

Mathman's instructions for Lee Collet dies::

The first thing I recommend is to ignore the instructions supplied with the die.

The second thing I recommend is to ignore whether or not the press you're using cams over at the top of its stroke.

The die squeezes the neck onto a mandrel, so for a given neck thickness there is a finite limit to how much sizing you can achieve. This die will need adjustment to suit different thicknesses of brass.

Raise the press ram to the top of its stroke. Thread the die into the press until the bottom of the sizing collet (not the die body) just touches the shell holder. Measure the neck OD of a piece of brass.

Run the brass through the die using a full press stroke. It should take no effort since if you're set up as described the die has done no sizing. Turn the die into the press about 1/4 turn. Run the brass in again. You probably won't feel much sizing going on, but give the neck a measurement just to see. If it's still nothing, screw the die in another 1/4th and try again. You'll may start feeling a bit going on as you work the press handle, and if so you'll be able to measure a little sizing taking place.

Rinse and repeat using 1/16th turn in increments for the die. You'll feel increases in the force required for the sizing stroke. Since you're measuring the neck after each pass you'll eventually find two increments where the neck didn't get any smaller. NOW STOP TURNING THE DIE INTO THE PRESS. Remember you're squeezing the brass against a solid steel mandrel which isn't going to give, so even if the press stroke didn't feel like it took very much force the neck is as small as it's going to get.

There's a learning curve to the die, but it isn't hard.

I like to run cases through the die twice, spinning the case about 1/3 turn (rather than the 1/2 turn in the instructions) between passes. This means the parts of the neck that were under the splits in the collet fingers on the first pass will get hit on the second.

Addition from roundoak:

If you have not done so already, take the top cap off and check to see if the collet splits are free from debris and inspect the collet further for burrs and polish if necessary. Then apply a film of grease on the tapered surface of the collet. I use the grease that is applied to a chainsaw bar sprocket tip.

When properly set up it takes very little ram pressure to size the case, if you feel a lot of resistance....STOP and figure out the problem.

Thanks, JB...

DF

You're welcome!

(Hey, I know when to save--or steal--good schidt....)

Thanks for making it easy. My access to the internet these days is via a phone that's dragging me into the 21st century and I'm not yet a power user.

On new brass I use a Sinclair Carbide Neck Expander Mandrel, and that is it.

I remove the expander balls from my Redding dies and never use them in sizing my brass.

I'm sure that works, just an extra step to size then expand...

Set up right, the Lee Collet neck sizer does pretty close the same thing with one easy step.

Only Lee down side is an occasional body die that you won't need with your system. But, that step isn't needed every time.

DF

I use a collet die because I am too lazy to fiddle with other dies. And, of course, bother with lube.

I wonder who the first BR shooter and writer were who started us on the equipment rollercoaster?

I ditched the expander ball years ago and my concentricity improved immediately. You can use the Lee collet die or pick up a mandrel body like this one...

https://www.sinclairintl.com/reload...s-prod38807.aspx?sid=63474&pid=36422

Then just buy mandrels for your calibers. I use the "turning" mandrels which are cut to .002 inches below caliber diameter. "Expander" mandrels will get you .001 inches below caliber diameter. They're made in steel or carbide. Carbide supposedly doesn't require lube but is significantly more expensive over the steel variants.

Carbide turning mandrels....
https://www.sinclairintl.com/aspx/search/productdetail.aspx?sid=63474&pid=36422

Steel turning mandrels...
https://www.sinclairintl.com/reload...s-prod33136.aspx?sid=63474&pid=36422

Lee Collet neck sizer is less expensive than the Sinclair system.

How does concentricity compare between those two systems?

DF

X2 ...... I'd like to see that as well. I have Lee Collet Dies for all my rifles and try to stick to rifles I can use them for. Same for Forster BR seaters.

I did a copy on JB's post of Mathman's instructions, printed it.

I would suggest anyone wanting that info to copy and print it.

DF